Mark Mulder hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues since 2008, hasn't won a game since 2006, and has spent the last three baseball seasons in a TV studio rather than on a mound. But the Angels are apparently willing to give him a shot at making their pitching rotation this spring — and give him quite a payday if he can do it.
Mulder, 36, agreed to a minor league deal with the Angels and will be invited to the team's spring training camp, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal confirmed Wednesday. If he reaches all incentives in the agreement, his deal could be worth more than $6 million, Rosenthal tweeted.
Mulder, who will be paid a base salary of $1 million, had tryouts with the San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and several other clubs before signing with the Angels, according to reports.
Goes without saying: Mulder’s deal with #Angels will include an invitation to major-league spring training.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 2, 2014
He retired in 2010 after he was unable to come back from a variety of ailments to his left shoulder. He pitched in three games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007 and three more in 2008 before ending his career. He has worked as an analyst for ESPN since 2011.
Mulder was a 21-game winner for the Oakland A's in 2001 and has a 103-60 record and a 4.18 ERA. All but two of his 205 appearances have been starts.
The Angels have made moves this offseason to strengthen their rotation, but there is clearly room for more help. Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Garrett Richards are all expected to start, with newly acquired Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs competing for spots at the back end.
The Angels are also likely to be bidders for Japanese free agent Masahiro Tanaka, although it's doubtful they'll be able to match the offers of teams such as the Dodgers and the New York Yankees.
